Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-04-01


Whoever striveth to bestow
On one sweet peace from heaven,
Or intercedeth for soul,
In some way is forgiven.
HISTORY OF A RAILROAD.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company, the control of which has been
a matter of recent speculation, was the
first chartered and fully organized rail-
road company in the United States. Ii
was projected before Stephenson made
his first locomotive, and before it was
shown that steam could be successfully
used as motive power. The road was
open and cars were running on it, though
not propelled by steam, in the same
year that Stephenson's locomotive, 'The
Rocket" drew train of cars from Liv-
erpool TO Manchester at the rate oil
tw elve miles an hour. In fact. steam
had nothing to do with the inception OF
the road. The first locomotive power
used was horse power, and cars were
drawn in the same way as canal boats,
One enterprising inventor of Baltimore
constructed car with sails, which he
called the Aeolus, and which proved
quite successful-on windy days.
Among those who enjoyed sail on the
railroad was Baron Krudener, the Rus
sian Ambassador at Washington, who
declared he had never travelled so agree
ably. He sent model of the sailing
car to the Emperor, who was so pleased
with it that he sent a deputation from
Russia to investigate the workings OF
the Baltimore & Ohio Road. and 1t was
through them that Ross Winans and
other Baltimoreans obtained the lucra-
tive employment in Russia by which
their immense fortunes were made. The
Herald will give short account of the
rise and progress of this great railroad.
A Quaker merchant Of Baltimore, Philip
f. Thomas, first suggested railroad to
the Ohio River in 1926. Baltimore at
that time was city of 10000 inhabi'
tants, and had great facilities for export
trade, but it's inland communications
were threatened by the Erie and Penn
svlvania canals, which were divertiDg
the western trade to New York and
Philadelphia. Though but little was
known of railroads at that time, the
project of a road to Ohio was received
with favor by the people of Maryland,
and in 1927 the Legislature granted a
charter to the Baltimore & Ohio Rail-
road Company, afterwards confirmed by
the Virginia Legislature, for the con-
struction of such road. The next
year the Legislature of Maryland sub
scribed $500, 900 to the stock of the COM
pany, and the work was commenced.
This was the first legislative aid ever
given in this country to railroad enter
prise. An appropriation of 81, 200, 600
was afterward recommended for IL by
committees in both houses Of Congress,
but the bill failed to pass. The govern
ment, however, detailed West Point
graduates to aiG in engineering the
work. and by them the first part of the
line was laid out. The 4th Of July.
1928, was gala day in the city of Bal
timore. A grea. procession, represent
ing every trade and all kinds Of busi-
ness, marched through the principal
streets and gathered at the southwestern
limit OF the city to witness the opening
ceremonies of The new road. Charles
Carroll, of Carrollton, then over ninety
years of age, laid the first stone, and as
he did so he said: 81 consider this
amorg the most important acts Of my
life, second only to my signing the Dec
laration Of Independence, if even il be
second to that" The stone bore this in.
scription: ''This stone. presented by
the stone cutters Of Baltimore. in com
memoration of the commencement of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was
here placed on the Fourth Of July, 1928,
by the Grand Lodge Of Maryland, as
sisted by Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,
the last surviving signer Of the Declara-
ton Of Independence, and under the
direction of tie president and directors
of the railroad company" A national
salute was then fired by the artillery,
after which various trade deputaii0ns
marched by, stopping to address Mr..
Carroll. and to make him small pres
ent as memorial. The following are
the first and last verses Of one of the
songs sung on the occasion:
Here's road to be made
With the pick and the spade,
'Tis to reach to Ohio for the benefit Of trade
Here are mountains TO be leveled,
Here are valleys to be filed
Here are rocks to be blown and bridges, too
TO build,
And we're all hopping. skipping jumping
And we're all crazy here In Baltimore.
And when the road is made
With the pick and the spade,
In the locomotive engine they will put Ill
tie fire; tt-lI -
And while the kettle boils,
We may ride three hundred miles,
Or 60 10 bed in Baltimore and breakfast Ii
Ohio!
Where they're all waiting. hoping. pray
ing,
For quick way TO come to Baltimore.
Considering that these verses wer'
written in 1928, two years before the 10
comotive was an assured success, ant
thirty years before sleeping cars cam
into use, they have something Of pro